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COPA America enters quarters as USA takes on Ecuador

LOS ANGELES, USA, June 16 – Having captured first place in Group A on the strength of back-to-back shutouts, the U.S. men’s national team continues the historic Copa America Centenario with a quarterfinal match up against Ecuador early Friday morning.

The match kicks-off at 3:30am Kenyan time at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, and will be broadcasted live on StarTimes Channel World Football.

This will be the second meeting between the teams in less than a month. In the first tune-up match after the Copa rosters were finalized, Darlington Nagbe scored his first international goal in the 90th minute to lift the U.S. to a 1-0 win in Frisco, Texas.

The U.S. roster is loaded with experience, boasting 14 players from the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad and a total of 18 who have already appeared in Qualifying for Russia 2018.

Veterans like team captain Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey marshal the group that has collected an average of over 40 caps.

There are six players with 50 or more and five with five or less. Meantime, John Brooks, Bobby Wood and DeAndre Yedlin lead a youth contingent that includes five players who are 23-years-old or younger.

The U.S. deployed same starting XI for all three matches in group phase: Guzan; Yedlin, Cameron, Brooks, Johnson; Bedoya, Bradley (capt.), Jones; Zardes, Dempsey, Wood.

That streak will end Thursday night, as DeAndre Yedlin is suspended after being sent off in the 1-0 win against Paraguay.

As is traditional in Copa America, there is no extra time played in the quarterfinal and semifinal round. If any these matches are tied after 90 minutes, teams will go straight to penalty kicks to decide a winner.